This invention relates, in general, to electronics, and more particularly, to methods of manufacturing semiconductor components and semiconductor components thereof.
Bipolar transistors are used in many different electronic applications, including integrated circuits and discrete components. Homojunction bipolar transistors have limited high frequency applications because their transit frequency (fT) is typically well below 40 GigaHertz (GHz). Heterojunction Bipolar Transistors (HBT) have superior high frequency characteristics because their fT is greater than that for homojunction bipolar transistors. In many instances, the fT of an HBT is 100 GHz or higher.
As an example, a HBT can include a silicon substrate and a silicon germanium carbon layer contacting the silicon substrate. The interface between the silicon substrate and the silicon germanium carbon layer forms the heterojunction. However, existing methods for manufacturing HBTs do not produce HBTs exhibiting superior high frequency characteristics.
Accordingly, a need exists for a method of manufacturing a semiconductor component where the method is compatible with existing semiconductor processing techniques and where the method produces a semiconductor component that has superior high frequency performance characteristics.